Iced Tea Margaritas And More: Five Icy Takes On Classic Cocktails
When you fancy yourself a mixologist, you are probably one of those enthusiasts who enjoys experimenting with different flavours, techniques and ingredients that you employ to make delicious blends. While doing so, you might come up with some unconventional takes on classic recipes that reimagine a certain familiar spirit with slightly unfamiliar flavours or preparation techniques.
These experiments imbue an innovative quality into boozy drinks so you can come up with unexpectedly delicious mixes just by introducing slight variations in prepping techniques and ingredients.
Such unconventional takes on classic cocktails would also add excitement and drama into the next party you host. Some of these can be turned into signature blends at a cocktail evening or a wedding reception if they reflect the quirky personalities of the people who are being celebrated. You can also take these unconventional spins on classic recipes to the bartender at your local haunt and order a bespoke cocktail featuring those flavour pairings.
Read on below to know more about some of the unconventional takes on classic spirits which add lots of colour and vibrancy into traditional mixes:
Smoked Negroni
A negroni is a delicious Italian aperitif or pre-dinner tipple that is often served ahead of a sumptuous meal to boost your appetite. Undoubtedly, it contains lots of fresh ingredients like vermouth and campari as well as a splash of gin and an orange peel garnish bringing quite a bit of complexity into the glass. Make this drink more dramatic by giving it a smoky touch using aromatic or herb infused wood chips. This smoky texture seeps right into the drink to introduce deep and complex layers that makes for a slight twist on the classic cocktail recipe.
Deconstructed Old Fashioned
Deconstructed drinks often mean serving small portions of a full cocktail to then explore each flavour minutely. For a slightly different take on an old fashioned whisky cocktail, you can prepare a deconstructed version of the drink that presents all its ingredients separately. Bring together a bourbon infused sphere of ice that is accompanied by bitters and sugar cubes. Keep a dropper at hand so guests can mix their own drink and explore each flavour separately before experiencing the different tastes in unison.
Iced Tea Margarita
Iced tea cocktails are rapidly gaining popularity for their vibrant qualities and boozy touch. You can turn a classic margarita into a drink that celebrates the notes of freshly brewed black or oolong tea by adding the unsweetened drink to the boozy concoction prepared using a 45 ml pour of Don Julio Blanco tequila. You can further enhance the intensity of this drink by reducing the amount of simple syrup and upping that of the orange liqueur to complement the black tea brew. Garnish the margarita glass with a salted rim to enjoy a complex blend of sweet, bitter, earthy and salty flavours.
Green Bloody Mary
Traditionally, a bloody mary cocktail is prepared using tomato juice, pepper, lemon juice and a bit of tabasco for its spicy kick. This drink resembles a deep red hue endowing the cocktail with its name. Twist this recipe a tad to prepare it using green tomatoes or tomatillos whose sweet flavours can be complemented by the savoury notes of green hot sauce. Instead of a celery stick, you can use a carrot stem as a crispy contrasting garnish for the green cocktail.
Beer Cocktail Remix
Beer cocktails are generally foamy, frothy mixes that can be relished on warm summer evenings. Put some unconventional spins on these age-old recipes by reimagining the flavour combinations used to bring them together. Turn a classic shandy into a tasteful floral mix that can be prepared using a citrus-filled IPA and some delicious elderflower liqueur. Such a variation can also be introduced into cocktails like the michelada put together by swapping out the conventional tangy tomato juice with a spicy tomato mix and a tajin rim garnish.
